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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a word
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com